What makes a hotel room romantic? After extensive and exhaustive worldwide research, international travel experts Mr & Mrs Smith know it’s certainly not just about a handful of rose petals or a few candles—or even price, for that matter. Location, ambience and savvy design details all have their part to play in setting the perfect scene (and the mood) for love.
Here are their picks of 10 of the world’s most romantic
boutique hotel rooms. —Mr and Mrs Smith
1. Hacienda de San Antonio, Colima, Mexico
There aren't many hotel bedrooms that can boast magnificent views of an active volcano, wreathed in billowing steam clouds, but at Hacienda de San Antonio, this is exactly what you’ll see from the El Quetzal Junior Suite, earning it a number one spot in our most romantic rooms roundup. Owned by the Goldsmith family—who have turned their eco-estate at Cuixmala into something of a travel phenomenon—this sun-kissed, blushing pink 19th-century mansion in the Mexican highland state of Colima has been decorated with style and passion.
The Hacienda’s elegant arched buildings sit serenely in a jaw-dropping landscape: Manicured green lawns streaked with streams give way to orange trees, coffee plants and avenues of bamboo—color-soaked scenery stretches in every direction. If Mother Nature’s awesome power is a little much for your nerves, check into El Sol, the largest of the hotel’s suites, for a honeymoon splurge that adds a bed you can lose your partner in, grand tiled fireplaces, beautiful wall paintings and a private terrace. We doubt you’ll even make it outside to do any of those volcano-climbing, nature-spotting, bird-watching, horse-riding expeditions you had planned.
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2. Tauana, Bahia, Brazil
For some, a guilty conscience is a real passion-killer, so knowing that you’re staying at an eco-friendly, ethical retreat should eradicate any possible cause for concern. Not sounding romantic enough? OK, try this: a secluded seashore shack on a remote Brazilian beach in Bahia, with enormous sun-dappled, muslin-draped beds, 20-foot-high ceilings and a pristine setting. Of Tauana’s nine thatched cabanas, the front-row five are positioned steps from the surf: Book the one at either end of this row for the ultimate castaway experience and unobstructed views. This tech-free paradise in Corumbau invites adventurous couples to bond while honing their scuba skills, scanning the sea for whales or exploring two nearby national parks. But if none of these tickle your fancy, swaying your days away in a hammock is perfectly acceptable.
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Tauana
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Bahia
3. Royal Malewane, Kruger National Park, South Africa
You know you’ve found exclusive when you’ve chosen a safari lodge frequented by the Lion King himself. That’s right—Sir Elton John. This bush-built beauty provides red-carpet treatment all the way; so if an out-of-this-world African adventure is what you’re after, without a hint of scratchy canvas or rough luxe, Royal Malewane is your refined solution. Each suite is outfitted in impeccable colonial style, with improbably heavy mahogany four-posters, rich tapestry rugs, open fireplaces (lit for you nightly), travertine limestone bathrooms with freestanding tubs and huge picture windows that take you on a 24-hour safari. Romantic Luxury Suites also have indoor and outdoor showers, private plunge pools. This boutique lodge will cater to your every whim, with private chefs, private game drives and outdoor spa treatments; there’s even a private water hole where giraffes gather to quench their thirst.
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Royal Malewane
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South Africa
4. Hotel Particulier Montmartre, Paris, France
There isn’t just one romantic room at Hotel Particulier Montmartre; there are five. Each of the unique, personality-packed suites at this opulent art house has been designed by a different style aficionado. New York–based artist Martine Aballéa’s canopy-print wall coverings in the Chambre Végétale make you feel as though you’re floating among the highest branches of a tree in summer: a light-dappled, foliage-filled fantasy that’s pure Midsummer Night’s Dream. If that’s a bit whimsical for your tastes, fashion curator Olivier Salliard put together the surrealist-inspired Poems and Hats suite: This black-and-white boudoir has a black mosaic-tiled bathroom, separated from the bedroom only by a glass wall. Not leaving enough to the imagination? Try illustrator Pierre Fichefeux’s creation for a more traditional twist on romance: Tree With Ears is an incredibly spacious damson-hued suite with velvet drapery, gilded frames and a host of other fancy fittings.
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Hotel Particulier Montmartre
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Paris
5. Verana, Jalisco, Mexico
Planes, boats, Mexican mules…sometimes those extra-special places require a little extra-special effort to get to— and arriving at Verana on Jalisco’s Costa Alegre is half the fun (not to mention followed by fresh mint mojitos). For adventure-loving couples, this Bauhaus-meets-boho hillside escape boasts just eight exclusive palapa-thatched huts, promising the ultimate rustic remote retreat. Nature rules this roost: A private beach offers daytime indulgence, frangipani blooms across the hillside, bougainvillea trails in and around bedrooms, and you awake from slumber to the sound of birdsong. Request the lofty, arboreal setting of the Tea House, a Japanese-style suite spread over a series of floating wooden platforms above the jungle treetops; inside, a cotton-canopied kingsize bed open to the balmy air with sun-soaked panoramic views of the Mexican Pacific awaits you.
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Verana
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Jalisco
6. Poetry Inn, Napa Valley, California
Perched on a steep hillside of California oaks and swathed in a spring blanket of wildflowers, lyrical hideaway Poetry Inn in Napa’s Stag’s Leap district awaits oenophiles in search of a countryside cocoon. This intimate boutique bed and breakfast has three rooms, all named after great writers—it's easy to see why as you gaze down upon the inspiring serenity of Napa Valley’s rolling vineyards: these views are picturesque postcard perfection. You can choose bottles of fine wine—and we mean mighty fine wine—from the hotel's eye-popping private cellar of rare vintage Bordeaux and California cabernets to take to your balcony, but this isn't the only way to enjoy views that are breathtaking in their scope: The top-floor grand suite’s open-air shower, fireside armchairs and soaking tub are equally good places from which to let your eyes roam across the horizon.
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Poetry Inn
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Napa Valley
7. Ca Maria Adele, Venice, Italy
Venice—undeniably romantic, no matter how you look at it. Ca Maria Adele—the perfect hideaway from which to enjoy it. Step outside this boutique beauty, where baroque decor contrasts with contemporary polished concrete, and you’ll find gondolas floating along the adjacent canal and iconic twisting alleyways that prompt so many to propose on a whim. Take refuge from all the other people admiring the glory of Venice in Ca Maria Adele’s top-floor suite 336, overlooking Giudecca Island and the church of Madonna Della Salute. Here you can happily divide your time between lounging à deux in the king-size bed or doing the same in the African wood-paneled Jacuzzi at its foot. Suite 339 has its own private terrace, but for no-holds-barred romantic opulence, opt for the Doge’s Suite, with dramatic red damasks and dramatic Murano glass chandeliers to swing from.
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Ca Maria Adele
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Venice
8. Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos, Caribbean
Destination du jour for the honeymooning A-list, Parrot Cay treads the fine line between luxury and minimalism and gets it right at every turn. For a spoiling, hedonistic escape, rent one of the six celebrity-owned, butler-equipped Parrot Cay Estates, with private plunge pools perfect for undisturbed moonlight skinny-dipping—it’s pretty much exactly what every Caribbean island fantasy is made of. No less appealing (or less romantic) are this Caicos boutique hotel’s main lodgings, with private sundecks, contemporary-colonial furniture, whitewashed walls and diaphanously draped four-poster beds. If you’re not making your reservations already, may we remind you that Parrot Cay also offers an award-winning Como Shambhala spa, two gourmet restaurants and 1,000 acres of secluded tropical-island beach bliss.
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Parrot Cay
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Turks and Caicos
9. Riad Tarabel, Marrakech, Morocco
If romance to you is exotic destinations, world-away culture and spice-filled souks, Marrakech is a must. With a delicate palette of cornflower blues, grays and whites, this traditional riad offers a slice of European chic in the heart of the medieval medina. Tarabel’s owners lovingly transplanted their style and treasured heirlooms from a family-owned château in Toulouse, picking up other unique objets d’art to mix in along their way, filling these modern Moroccan quarters with souk-sourced antiques, château curios, palatial paintings, ornate mirrors—and one very personable parrot. Honeymooners and incurable romantics will love the Palmeraie Suite for its wood-beamed ceilings, elegant gray
zellige tiles and relaxed rattan daybeds. The suite also has a magnificent bathroom, sprawling over two levels: Double sinks and mirrors occupy the upper section, and a double walk-in shower and vast bathtub dominate the lower level.
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Riad Tarabel
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Marrakech
10. La Suite, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Picture the scene: a cliff-top villa in Joatinga —the Beverly Hills of Rio—where floor-to-ceiling windows and a huge grandstand terrace give way to a panorama of Brazil's high-drama megalopolis. The turquoise blue of the Atlantic Ocean encircles the Cagarras islands to one side, and to the other, a jungle-fringed swathe of Rio's trademark beaches Leblon and Ipanema sweeps toward Sugar Loaf Mountain, where the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer punches into the sky. Confess: your romance radar is tuning in already. La Suite is lovingly owned and styled by Frenchman François-Xavier Dussol, who dabbles with a unique blend of contemporary L.A. chic and classic Gallic elegance. Book into the Black Suite for a window on the world atop this carnivalesque city; or try the spacious Purple Suite boasting hardwood floors, an antique French dresser and a magnificent amethyst marble bathroom, crowned by a double-headed steam shower.
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La Suite
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Rio de JaneiroFor more Brides.com travel tips from Mr and Mrs Smith, click here.
